Robo,
Each of us has to decide what our priorities or needs and purpose are when budgeting for the Camino....it is your Camino ...it is my camino.
We have a finite amount of money on our Camino. Our focus is, honestly, not on churches, architecture, culture, or cuisine. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Cathedral in Leon...the beauty of the windows is inspiring....and we have a favorite Restaurant in Leon and Santiago! But our focus is simple...walking in God’s beauty.. stepping the sacred soil. We love walking slowly up and down the small mountains and paths along the CF. We are fed by sitting outside sipping a coffee and breathing in the stunning views. A picnic sitting on a mountain rock when the sun warms the soul..priceless!
Now for budgeting ...When we budget...lodgings is our priority!
Priority lodgings
We choose based upon a combination of factors including, cleanliness, heat/air-con, reported functionality of the facility overall and the rooms, proprietors reported responses to problems, location, history of bed bug infestation, and, ability to come and go as, and when we please, (not necessarily in that order).
Generally, we leave before the hosts wants to serve breakfast...so we do not care whether breakfast is included or served at that the facility. We buy something lite to eat at a bar open early or prepare something lite before we leave in our room and then get a second breakfast abt two hours out. If nothing is open yet, we try and eat more in our room.
My sister and I really do not do bunk beds unless it is an emergency. We both require a bottom bunk for different reasons and we both do not do well without a good nights sleep (Know thyself)! Thus, for example, we are only doing one common room type experience on this trip - in Orisson....because there is no other option at that distance from Roncevalles. (I have stayed at a number of common beds in alms in Austrian alps that were a lot more rustic in my younger years).
In general, we opt for a private room ...some in albergues, hostels, pensions, and hotels.
In high season we budget 60 € per night for two persons in a private room. But having our own room saves in many other ways...
We wash clothes in our room and never have to worry about our clothes drying or paying 7 euros to wash and dry them.
We usually have heat most of the night and can control the heaters-which we also use for drying sometimes. Many rooms have hair dryers and we use them for a few minutes to help dry difficult items esp.in winter. We spend no money on washers or dryers and can keep up with laundry as we wish. We do not have to worry about carrying or purchasing shampoos, soaps, towels or sheets (In winter months we do have sleeping bags because inevitably some place(s) break(s) down). Most places have aircon as well...which is a real plus after a heat wave.
Eats
We often eat our main meal out...before we get to our accommodation...more and more ala carte or menu del dia. We do not really drink alcohol and honestly do not find most of the desserts on the pilgrim menu that satisfying so we concentrate on the main plate.
We almost never eat supper out, unless it is in an albergue-when the albergue prepares or guests are preparing a common meal which we are happy tp participate in...but this only happens a couple of times. For Supper, we make up for a lack of vitamins by eating fresh veggies and fruits, tomato’s, green and multicolored peppers, onions, garlic, processed olives, radishes, oranges, melons, lemons, bananas, yogurt, nuts and dessert. We buy enough fruits and tomatoes to use the next day for snacks. In the morning we peel the oranges, quarter them and tomatoes, and put them all in sealable bags and eat them as we walk. Great vitamins and water content and a lot cheaper than buying juice at 2euros per glass. We carry little packs of salt from fast food places in US and put on the tomatoes before eating. Thus we also replace salt content.
We also carry packs of boullion soup. About half the time we do not eat a main meal anymore! So we order say, a pumpkin soup which never seems to have much taste to us? We then add a package of boullion chicken soup and, voila, wonderful! Often, by the time we get to the room, if the accommodations are really comfortable ..we do not want to leave it!
Now some may be saying what about the camaraderie of walking with other pilgrims. We cherish the interactions we share with many pilgrims we encounter. However, because we are on the slow track, we only see the same people for maybe two or three days at most. So we value our experiences and have no expectation of longer rendezvous.
Here is what I am budgeting this year.
Day one
Average 4 euros pp breakfast (8)
Main meal every other day 15pp. (30)
Dinner, water, snacks for next day 15
Misc 5 euros per day
58 euros for all but lodgings, plus two lodgings 60= 118 € for two persons.
Day two
Here is what I am budgeting this year.
Day Two
Breakfast 6 euros pp (12)
lite lunch pp 7.5 pp (15)
Dinner, water, snacks for next day 15
Misc 5 euros per day
47 euros + 6Oroom = 107€
118 +107 / 2 = 112.5 euros per day or 56.25 pp.
